The growth of Mesoamerica during the classical and post-classical periods
It was during the Classical and post-classical eras that Meso-America started having Civilizations develop which proves that civilization was possible though Mesoamerica was isolated from the rest of the world

Inca

a ruler of the Incas (or a member of his family), Largest and most powerful Andean empire. Controlled the Pacific coast of South America from Ecuador to Chile from its capital of Cuzco.

khipus

a system of knotted chords used to aid administration, record population counts and record tribute obligations (used by Andean civilizations)

Maya

Mesoamerican civilization concentrated in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and in Guatemala and Honduras but never unified into a single empire. Major contributions were in mathematics, astronomy, and development of the calendar.

mit’a

a system in which each person owed compulsory labor services to the Inca state

Moche

Civilization of north coast of Peru (100-700 C.E.). An important Andean civilization that built extensive irrigation networks as well as impressive urban centers dominated by brick temples.

Quechua

the language of the Quechua which was spoken by the Incas

Quetzacoatl

ruler and god of the Mayan

slash and burn (shifting) agriculture

of a method of agriculture, in which vegetation is felled and burned, the land is cropped for a few years, then the forest is allowed to reinvade.

stelae

Large memorial pillars erected to commemorate triumphs and events in the lives of Maya rulers

Tenochtitlan

Capital of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco. Its population was about 150,000 on the eve of Spanish conquest. Mexico City was constructed on its ruins. (p. 305)

Teotihuacan

Mayan central city which grew rapidly after 200 B.C.E. Center of religion and government administration

Toltecs

Central American society (950-1150) that was centered around the city of Tula.

Topiltzin

most influential toltec leader; dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl

tribute system

A system in which defeated peoples were forced to pay a tax in the form of goods and labor. This forced transfer of food, cloth, and other goods subsidized the development of large cities. An important component of the Aztec and Inca economies.